magnitude

noun

(uncountable, countable) The absolute or relative size, extent or importance of something.

(countable) An order of magnitude.

(seismology) A measure of the energy released by an earthquake (e.g. on the Richter scale).

(uncountable) The apparent brightness of a star, with lower magnitudes being brighter; apparent magnitude

(astronomy) A logarithmic scale of brightness defined so that a difference of 5 magnitudes is a factor of 100.

(mathematics) A number, assigned to something, such that it may be compared to others numerically

(mathematics) Of a vector, the norm, most commonly, the two-norm.

(countable) A ratio of intensity expressed as a logarithm.

Roots

magnusmagn- · Latin · great

Synonyms & related words for magnitude

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of magnitude — including enormousness, enormity, largeness, amplitude, size, hugeness. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to magnitude

Explore words related to magnitude — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include extensiveness, immenseness, massiveness, vastitude, earthquakes, rescale, commeasure, severity. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for magnitude

Common synonyms for magnitude include enormousness, enormity, largeness, amplitude, size, hugeness, bigness, immensity — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does magnitude come from?

The word magnitude breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root magn-, from Latin magnus (“great”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.